DORIS LESSING

Through the Tunnel

Protagonist Point of View

JerryAge?

11

Family? No siblings Father deceased Mother

Culture? British On “holiday”

Third Person - Limited Omniscient Jerry The mother Boys?

Through the Tunnel

Point of View: Third Person - Limited Omniscient

Jerry

“He was very familiar with that anxious, apologetic smile.”

The mother

“She was thinking , Of course he’s old enough to be safe without me. Have I been keeping him too close? He musn’t feel he ought to be with me. I must be careful.”

Through the Tunnel

ConflictExternal Internal

“And now, in a panic of failure, he yelled up, in English, ‘Look at me! Look!’...”

Through the Tunnel

“The were big boys—men to Jerry.”

SettingFrance British “holiday”

Familiar with beach

“…and then to the crowded beach he knew so well from other years.”

Jagged rocks“..wild and rocky bay…” “…among the fanged and angry boulders.”

Villa

Through the Tunnel

Symbolism

Beach Rocks

Through the Tunnel

Setting

Symbolism Objects

Goggles“Now he could see. It was as if he had eyes of a different world…”

StoneAnchor Leaves stone behind“Weapon”

Nose BleedMark of adulthood“Badge of Courage”Physical sacrifice

TunnelPortal of manhoodBetween two worlds“Belly of the Beast”Cannot return to previous world“Rebirth” - BIRTH

Through the Tunnel

ThemesStyle

Imagery and Similes“It was like a water dance…the water sparkled as if sequins were dropping through it. Fish again —myriads of minute fish, the length of his fingernail[. ..]he could feel the innumerable tiny touches of them against his limbs. It was like swimming in flaked silver…”

Through the Tunnel

man vs. nature

alienation vs. loneliness

boyhood vs. adulthood

individual vs. himself

Others?